Whanganui Regional Business Awards already a sellout

Business Whanganui Chamber of Commerce chief executive Helen Garner. Photo / NZME

The year’s Whanganui Regional Business Awards have received the most entries on record and the event sold out two months in advance.

Held biennially, the awards feature 10 contested categories, with Property Brokers Whanganui picking up the Supreme Award winner in 2022.

Business Whanganui chief executive Helen Garner said there was a high calibre of entrants this year, of all ages and industries, and some had “never stepped into the awards arena before”.

“For me, it’s pretty exciting,” she said.

“In 2022, we awarded a silver and gold in each category but this year I’m confident we will add a bronze as well.

“There are many more entries than prizes, let’s put it that way.”

There are five awards in the Excellence in Business Practices category, five in Best in Sector and three in Special - the Supreme Award, Emerging Business, and People’s Choice.

Garner said Business Whanganui had enlisted Verleshwar Singh as the awards’ chief evaluator, with award-winning journalist and broadcaster Mike McRoberts as the event’s MC.

“Verleshwar has been heavily involved in the Pacific Business Awards for over 20 years and he’s bringing a whole new dimension.”

In general, Whanganui businesses were optimistic that the current economic conditions would improve, she said.

“We are a pretty resilient bunch.

“Lower interest rates, power prices down, markets to pick up, things like that are going to make a big difference.”

The Herald’s 2024 Mood of the Boardroom survey of over 100 business leaders revealed 89% of respondents were confident inflation was past its peak.

However, respondents said power prices, insurance costs and council rates had all risen sharply this year, putting businesses under pressure.

Regardless of the economic climate, “a good business is a good business”, Garner said.

“We are so pleased people have come to the party and they are really backing themselves.

“The other side of it is the awards ceremony itself. At the last event, we had just under 300 people. Now, we are maxed out at 400.”

Garner said every entrant would be interviewed this month, with that data being given to an expert panel to make final decisions.

Finalists are announced on October 31.

The awards ceremony and dinner will take place at the Whanganui War Memorial Centre on November 16.

Mike Tweed is a multimedia journalist at the Whanganui Chronicle. Since starting in March 2020, he has dabbled in everything from sport to music. At present his focus is local government, primarily the Whanganui District Council.